Spyke

Florida is now the 2nd most financially distressed state in the US — topped only by Texas, Google helps reveal

Florida is now one of the most financially stressed states in the country, second only to another Southern state, according to a new report by WalletHub, which defines financial distress as having credit in forbearance or deferring payments due to financial difficulty.

“When you combine data about people delaying payments with other metrics like bankruptcy filings and credit score changes, it paints a good picture of the overall economic trends of a state,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said about the findings.

Florida is now the 2nd most financially distressed state in the US — topped only by Texas, Google helps revealhttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/florida-now-2nd-most-financially-164500255.htmlOpen linkView original on lemmy.world
sh.itjust.works

Desantis and his wife were money laundering and taking kick backs from Medicaid through his wife's charity.

As DeSantis administration officials scrambled last year to craft a Medicaid overbilling settlement that diverted millions to the Hope Florida Foundation, lawyers for healthcare contractor Centene and the Florida Attorney General’s Office tried to distance their clients from the agreement, a trove of newly released records shows.

Over 22 days in September, then-Chief Deputy Attorney General John Guard repeatedly removed references to his office in drafts of the settlement passed among negotiators.

Centene’s lawyers inserted language emphasizing that the company was “directed by the state” to donate $10 million of its $67 million settlement to the foundation. The attorneys insisted that Florida’s Office of Inspector General or attorney general be mentioned in the agreement.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article311619075.html (look up Florida Hope scandal and there's tons more)

Hope Florida charity paid for hotel rooms, perks for DeSantis officials

It wasn't the first time the Hope Florida Foundation, which benefits a program spearheaded by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, has failed to file key paperwork. In April, its board president told state lawmakers that the charity had not filed any tax returns, created a budget or conducted audits required by law.

The charity is under investigation after diverting $10 million from a settlement with the state's largest Medicaid contractor to a pair of nonprofits that then gave millions to a political committee.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article308664570.html

144
redsandreply
lemmy.dbzer0.com

Rick Scott had big shoes for DeSantis to fill. He kept up figuratively with the fraud but literally his shoes are clownish.

26
lemmy.world

Blue states need to stop paying taxes. Taxation without representation no bueno. We can take the immigrants an ya’ll can have your theocratic dictatorship run by the imbecile pedo con man.

93
lemmy.world

ya’ll can have your theocratic dictatorship

Nope, give them that and they'll use it as base of operations for perpetually harassing the rest of us because their politics don't work unless they're always on the attack, we have to actually deal with Republicans and neutralize their ability to harm us

47

Fair point but it doesn’t seem like we’re going to neutralize anything at this point and it’s worrying

14

They will feed the people there constant propaganda about how their poverty and misery is the fault of California or New York, and people will be committing literal acts of terror behind it.

4
Azalreply
pawb.social

Trouble is as long as this is together, the red states will continue to play just like the Confederates pre-Civil War.

Notice Confederate states were/are all about "StAtEs RiGhTs", and they broke off because evil Lincoln was gonna come use the federal government to take control.... when before they were passing the fugitive slave acts where they could strongarm abolitionist states through the federal government to be forced to allow their people to hunt down runaway slaves (and go ahead and "accidentally" capture a few non-slave blacks).

The red states will do this again, no matter what.

15
lemmy.today

Honestly, I expect the Blue States to break away from a Red Federal government. That said, unlike the Confederates, the Blue States will carry legitimacy with foreign nations and goodness in general. The odds of winning a straight fight aren't bad, assuming that Trump doesn't go nuclear*.

*He will. The man doesn't give a shit about human life beyond his own.

7

But he is getting pretty senile maybe he will get 25thed. As hated as Vance is I doubt he will go nuclear but you never know….his handlers all have bunkers. I’m not religious but the pope dropping dead after meeting him is not a good omen 😂

5

Trump is not intelligent but he is savvy, and he has put together a coalition where no one idiot can hold a majority like he can. People only rebel when they have to or when it’s strongly in their best interest. The second can’t occur if you don’t hold a strong core to rebel with.

3
orclevreply
lemmy.world

While it's a nice sentiment it runs into the rather awkward problem that states don't actually pay any taxes. People and businesses pay taxes, not states. Exactly who is going to protect the citizens of a state when the IRS comes down on them for not paying their federal taxes?

13
Formfillerreply
lemmy.world

2nd amendment time I guess. We protect our communities and state from tyranny

8
lemmy.world

Ok. You first.

That has always been the problem with the 2a crowd from either side. Momentum. The first few ten or hundred or thousand are considered crazy wildcards and psychopaths.

Luigi may be a patron saint to a lot of people, but ain't nobody stepping up without more momentum. And it never showed up.

This isn't any different, and that's why it doesn't work yet. Pay your taxes. Use the rest on things you support. Take that tax write off to give the gov a little less and donate to causes that are important. Get in arguments and talk politics at the bar and with your family, but put the guns away. It doesn't help. So enough of it.

Momentum is what's important.

22
lemmy.today

It took about 16 months after John Brown before the 1st American Civil War started. I would say that Luigi is an indication of a pot coming to a boil.

3

And momentum grew. You are right. But there are quite a few names lost to history that were a little too early or in the wrong place to be remembered. Not to mention, things didn't work out too well for him or his followers after Harper's ferry. Sure it was a catalyst, but it was one of the last major uprisings before the war. Not the first, and it is maybe just by chance that his uprising is the one we remember. We only have the fortune of hindsight to know that was a major pivotal moment.

Who's to say where in the timeline we are? That decision is decided long after events and who wins in the long term. But the inherent momentum, the zeitgeist, is still of upmost importance.

6

The first few ten or hundred or thousand are considered crazy wildcards and psychopaths.

Because they are.

2

Incentives. A $500 rebate to individual taxpayers, and threat of prison or shutdown for company managers who refuse. There are a lot fewer businesses than people, so they are easy to track and hassle. People, on the other hand, have hearts and minds, plus are numerous. The carrot is far better for them.

Plus, California can introduce universal healthcare for citizens and taxpayers...then offer it to immigrant workers, who happen to be taxpayers that are threatened by ICE. That would incentivize these workers to get on board, they get to stick it to dickheads, AND get better lives in the process.

2
ronigamireply
lemmy.world

Blue states make it illegal for citizens to pay their federal taxes with threat of prison. Simple.

1
reddthat.com

...you want a state to jail people for following the laws of the country that the state is a part of. You do realize that's putting the entire state population into a catch-22 of having to decide whether or not to pay federal taxes and hope that this whole protest thing the state is doing doesn't blow up in their face and leave every single person in the state with a bunch of debt that we all know is extremely bad debt to have (the IRS does not fuck around with unpaid taxes and folks who get into debt with the IRS tend to be stuck there for a long time) not to mention whatever retaliatory measures would probably be taken and implemented against the citizens of participating states

In short, it's a hell of a gambit and quite frankly requires a successful secession to have any hope of not royally fucking yourself over

2

We’ve switched from “it’s impossible” to “it’s possible but a hell of a gambit” which was the goal.

1

We could build a wall. The red states will pay for it

1
Formfillerreply
lemmy.world

It’s becoming giliad without the resistance. We need the resistance

1

I mean by spitting red states and blue states. You definitely need to resist, and way more than has taken place

1
lemmy.world

Shit states lead to shit lives. It's not hard.

They have to deflect from their failed states by attacking the successful states like California and New York.

74

in additionally, bus ALL those homeless and junkies the blue states so they can have thier soundbites on right wing media.

3
lemmy.dbzer0.com

I live in Tennessee and you all come here. I can not figure out why. You must shed your worst. Either that or people can not afford Cali.

1
kbin.melroy.org

it's gerrymandered all to shit and they're about to make it worse. that combined with the defeated attitude of registered but non-voting democrats and the lack of strong leadership further enhances the supression.

35
Sanctusreply
lemmy.world

I am absolutely shocked. I apologize. This entire time I've thought wrong.

15

Except you aren't, per se. He's clearly posting shit too rapidly to read it himself. So he's not sharing those news in good faith.

So why then?

Simple.

Russia seeks to promote American isolationism, border security concerns and racial tensions within the United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_disinformation

MicroWave also systematically deletes his comments.

But you can still look at the context.

2

Geez, red states don't make enough money and spend too much...

Mmmmm, where are all these fiscally savvy Republicans who make sure that the common man can see their taxes spent responsibly?

Oh yeah, that's right, they're all lying thieves who only entich themselves. The more Christian a politician claims themselves to be the bigger the thievery and lying. This says a lot about Florida and Texas.

California pays the bills for just about every red state out there. Fuck these states, let them burn..

53
SuiXi3Dreply
fedia.io

Living in Texas myself, I've applied for and never gotten any kind of government assistance many times throughout my life. The one time I was able to get unemployment benefits, they gave me $500 one month and told me to pay it back two weeks later. I hate this state and truly wish I was able to move.

39
lemmy.world

Same, I applied of for food stamps and medicaid after my kid was born. My kid got medicaid, we did not. I got 50$ a month, that's like half a single grocery trip. I called saying "this must not be right" The lady belittle me saying "do you know how food stamps works?!"

I was telling my ex we need to get out for years, and with a kid I don't think she'll budge. The temptation to grab my kid and go is growing, but her job as spa receptionists and "opertunity to grow" is more important.

19
frongtreply
lemmy.zip

Opportunity ain't putting food on the table.

8

If only a spa receptionist had opportunities to grow. It’s a dead end job that will never be given a chance to grow — especially if your half way competent at it.

5
andros_rexreply
lemmy.world

Oklahoman - I tried applying for unemployment earlier this year, and couldn’t figure it out.

When I was in college I wanted to apply for food stamps, you specifically can not get food stamps if you are taking college classes.

I desperately need legal assistance, I called the legal aid service and they told me they only help seniors with evictions.

I need to see a doctor and a therapist, I can’t. I have no idea what the services would even vex

I used to volunteer at the food banks. I know that process is giving up an entire morning or afternoon, having to bring a shit ton of documentation, and getting expired food. So I’m going to live on cans of ravioli and hot dogs.

I am so god damn sick of people telling me that help exists. There is no help.

7
lemmy.today

if you lived in cali you wouldve ldefinitely gotten the HELP, medicaid based on your income, its probably low anyways. i wonder how republicans in those states are even getting "welfare" enough to be satiated, i wonder if they only cater to red districts more.

1

Basically southern states expect your family to take care of you. Doesn’t matter how disabled you are, doesn’t matter if you are just going through a temporary tight pinch that will spiral out of control unless you just get a tiny bit of help to stay on your feet, you are the responsibility of your family and if they don’t want you you might as well drink yourself to death.

5
lemmy.today

thats what happens if your state depends on TOURISM, and mostly farm work, and retirees that dont pay taxes.

22
cheloxinreply
lemmy.ml

Florida doesn't have a state income tax either.

7

As somebody from Upstate NY, I can’t say I feel too bad for them. The south has been holding this country back for decades tbh...

18
sh.itjust.works

Alaska’s high rating could very well have something to do with the Permanent Dividend Fund that every resident receives.

But honestly, this ranking does feel like just another way to keep the masses arguing amongst themselves over which political ideology or state is right; rather than focusing efforts on the ones at the very top sucking up all the wealth from the rest of us.

17
lemmy.world

According to google, Alaska residents get about $1700 a year per person. That's not nothing, but it's hardly enough to guarantee financial solvency. It's probably not even enough to offset the higher cost of living there.

14
porksnortreply
slrpnk.net

If you have ever been low income, $1700 is enough to get your attention. You know where that money comes from and when you are low income, a sudden in flow of essentially an extra month and a half of salary for a rural person?

Well, you’re paying attention to that. So maybe have some perspective about what that kind of money means to a person who has a shitty truck and a barely adequate house and spends months in it through a long winter.

6
piefed.social

you missed the higher cost of living remark. Cost of living there is only ever beaten out by hawaii, california, and new york. if your completely at 0 and on the streets then its going to make a big difference but if that person with the shitty truck and barely adequate house could pay less for most everything and might actually do better in alabama. Now granted without it the high cost of living would not be appreciably lower so its effect is massive just maybe not massive enough to make up for the cost of living there.

3
SkyezOpenreply
lemmy.world

Yeah I'm pretty sure it costs more than 1700 just to keep your house a livable temperature throughout the year. Gamed fairly regularly with a dude in Alaska and he had to get heating oil like once a month and it was something like 300 bucks to fill if I remember correctly.

2

Nah, didn’t miss it. We are just talking past each other as happens online, nbd. $1.7k is surely not enough to live on. Yet, it can make a huge difference to a low income person.

I do not know your circumstances, poverty is a unique experience that people who grew up with even just a tiny bit more security seem to not truly understand. We have sayings like ‘grinding poverty’ for a reason. IYKYK.

1
Lyrlreply
lemmy.dbzer0.com

I see so much argument around UBI with the assumption it has to be enough to live off or it's worthless. But Alaska's system makes a real difference to reducing the number of people living below poverty level, even being just a small fraction of what is required to live there for a year. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pop4.398

Although not designed as a social program to redistribute income, the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) has been reducing poverty by providing equal annual payments to nearly all state residents for over 40 years. ...the PFD reduced the number of Alaskans with incomes below the US poverty threshold by 20%–40%... The effect of the PFD has been even larger for vulnerable populations. The PFD has reduced poverty rates of rural Indigenous Alaskans from 28% to less than 22%, and has played an important role in alleviating poverty among seniors and children... up to 50% more Alaska children—15% instead of 10%—would be living in poor families without PFD income. The poverty-ameliorating effects of the PFD have lessened somewhat since 2000, as dividend amounts adjusted for inflation have been declining.

2

The expanded federal child tax credit during the pandemic also greatly reduced poverty, and that was just an extra couple thousand a year (paid monthly)

2
Azalreply
pawb.social

Permanent Dividend Fund that every resident receives.

Sounds awful socialist to me.

9
SkyezOpenreply
lemmy.world

If we stop exporting our own oil and stop buying from the Saudis, I'll fuckin take it at this point.

2

I would love it if we did that. It would be a good starting step in cutting down oil if we weren't exporting. Oil drilling is a scurge on the earth causing earthquakes, destroying habitats, and polluting water supplies. And that's leaving aside the global warming!

2
lemmy.world

Can we just break up the country already? Let the Jesusland states go wallow in their stupidity and let the rest of must continue on into the 21st century.

Fuck the red states.

16
fedia.io

Not everyone in these states are Republican. Check out the results for any major city on them.

That's why Texas Rs are hellbent on gerrymandering. Otherwise of it was fair and square they will lose.

14
lemmy.world

Yup. There are good people in those states and we should help them leave. There is no good future in red states. We should let them wither and die or let them leave. They are a cancer.

13

Missouri is about to have one of its metros cracked because heaven forbid this backwards assed state DARE to have a blue district.

4
lemmy.world

Seems like it would end up as 3+ countries. You have like Cascadia + CO/NM (maybe AZ?) and New England + MN/WI/IL and then Magastan separating them. Hawaii could just mahalo on out of this bullshit. Maybe Alaska just says "fuck this, eh?"

9

its called balkanization, the blue states form a coalition, and a new government, and the red ones can form one with RUSSIA, and SA.

3

Why would Florida having a high ranking for people falling behind on debt among all states be particularly problematic? I mean, someone's going to be #2.

And Alaska's on nearly at the other end of the scale, based on their ratings, and it's red.

0
lemmy.ml

Brown people! They came illegally, stole all the jobs, and now they've taken the economy too. Those black people probably need to go to rebalance thelosses. Maybe the white Christian holyland needs to purge the Jews and other non beleivers too? [predicting the MAGA playlist based upon world history]

15

FUCK YEAH!!! SUCK IT, FLORIDA!!!!

We are number one! We are number one!

Don't messes with Texas, bitches!

-PEW! PEW!-

Whoops! Celebratory gunshot accidentally sent a celebratory bullet into a school. Eh, the kids are used to it

11

I was born in the top 3 empoverished states, I live in another top 3, and whaddya know, my employer is based in the third. If I came across this article in the wild, I'd check the privacy settings on my browser thinking it's a AI-generated Farticle (Fake Article) created from my own metadata. Unreal. But yet, it's true. Last week I couldn't pay for my 1 measly city college class, so I put it on the only credit card that isn't maxed out. Most days I feel like that rubber toy from the 80's Stretch Armstrong. Big smile and streeeeetch those finances!

8
lemmy.world

By average not by extremes. I think a few years ago a UN Special Report revealed startling examples of extreme poverty in several places in the USA.

6
AA5Breply
lemmy.world

A couple of decades ago I was driving around New Mexico sightseeing and drove into a reservation. The poverty I saw hits really hard even now

5

A couple of years ago my wife was driving through New Mexico on a cross-country road trip (I had to fly due to another work trip bookending the vacation) and a truck fire forced a detour through Albuquerque, and she said the poverty she saw on the little bit of Albuquerque they drove through was insane. Described seeing presumably homeless people high out of their minds in the street, and other homeless people shooting up. And still others painfully sober and aware of their situation

Housing insecurity truly exhibits itself very differently in different places. Where we live it's not folks living in worn out tents or ramshackle shelters built from trash, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist

2
Kage520reply
lemmy.world

Nooooo I can't leave until next summer. Stay up for a little longer Florida!

1

Hopefully some more drought for one and flooding for the other will thin the herd a bit in the coming months and years.

4